The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-23
. GAMBLERS NERVE.
le Coolly Confesses Crime Altar Securing an Ae.
qulttal.


The career OF Charles Foulk, alias
Charles Watson, the gentleman gam
Dler who was shot and killed at Hot
Springs, by negro policeman, ashort
lime ago, was an eventful one. He
was tall and handsome, cool as an lei
Gle, dressed in exquisite taste, and his
manner and conversation were every
lnch the elegant, refined gentleman.
His friends never wearied Of lauding
mis- bravery, ana his enemies did not
gainsay them. Some years ago a
soldier was found with a bullet in his
heart on bridge near Carlisle. He
was OF gambling propensities and an
avowed enemy OF Foulk. Tho latter
with another gambler was charged
with the crime and placed on trial.
The men were given separate trials,
and Foulk was tried first and accquit.
ted on an undoubted alibi.
The evidence in the trial OF Foulk's
supposed accomplice was damaging to
the prisoner at the bar. One lady who
lived near the scene OF the shooting,
identified the prisoner and swore that
she heard u pistol shot, ran to the
door and saw him running hatless
from the scene of the murder. She was
certain that it was the accused man,
because there was lighted gas lamp
near her door which enabled her to
get good view Of his features. Other
evidence equally strong was introduce
ed by the state and a conviction SEEM
sd assured. When the defense opened
no one believed that the case made by
the state could be shaken.
AS Foulk took his seat on the wit
ness stand he turned to the stern,gray
haired Judge, and in a clear, calm voice
that could he heard in every part of
the room, said: Judge before | tes-
tify in this case ! want to ask you q
question. Can | ever be tried again
ior the killing OF that SOLDIER"
For n moment the silence was pain
lul. The venerable Judge seemed to
have guessed what was coming. He
replied in solemn, severe tones that
were rendered all the more impressive
by the deathly stiffness:
$50 far as human law is concerned
Mr.. Foulk, you are free man. No
earthly tribunal can try you again"
Foulk was the only person in the room
who was not affected. AS coolly as If
talking to circle of friends, he repli
ed: THANK you, Judge; you are a
man oil honor, and know the law. and
| believe you. wish to solemnly
swear, then, that killed that soldier.
You have acquitted the wrong man.
The effect OF this cool, deliber.
ate statement, mada in q voice
that never trembled and could be
heard by every one in the court
room, may be imagined. At once
the silence was broken by excla
nations OF surprise and indignation,
which, however, were quickly sup
pressed by the Judge. Then, as coolly
as he had made the confession, Foulk
told the story OF the murder. He
said that as he was crossing tho bridge
he met the soldier going in an oppo-
site direction. They were old enemies
and had recently had a quarrel over
the green cloth. Foulk said that as
soon as the soldier saw him he drew
his sabre and started for him. "Not
wishing to kill him." Foulk continued,
III drew little old-fashioned pepper
box revolver and shot at him four
times, but rs he still kept coming at
me jumped of the bridge, drew my
forty.five and killed him. ! did it in
self defense. II / had not killed him
he would have killed me.
The evidence OF the lady who swore
that she saw the prisoner at the bar
running hatless past her door was east
ly explained. and furnished anoth-
er instance OF Foulk's wonderful
nerve. When he jumped of the bridge
his hat iell of and floated down the
stream. When the soldier fell Foulk
ran up the street, but did not see the
lady standing at the door. When he
had gone a little way he remembered
that his name was written in his hat,
and that IL it was found it would be
used as evidence against him. Wait
ing for a moment, and, seeing that no
one had been attracted by the shots,
he deliberately returned TO the scene
of the shooting, waded down the
stream. found his hat, and went up
town through an alley. That was
nerve. The lady was honest in her
testimony, but she was simply mis-
taken. rs was afterwards proved con-
rlusively. OF course, the defendant
was dis harged. Foulk's story OF the
killing was ai'c-ward proved to he
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